The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-20

duce sea-going vessels upon the Mississippi
to connect foreign ports directly with those
on the Mississippi
ocean sailing and steamships can run to
st. Louis four months in the year; SIX
months to Memphis, and eight months to
Vicksburg, yet not the slightest effort has
been made to use the river for sea-going
boats until q recent date. A company is
now being formed at st. Louis will a capital
Of 100000 TO run steamships from 81.
Louis to foreign ports. This company
should receive the Endorsement and recon-
mendation to the public to subscribe for It's
stock, and Congress should be petitioned TO
direct an examination of the river and report
what distractions, legal or otherwise, there
may be against ocean sailing and steamships
navigating the river, and detail a United
States steamship TO assist in making such an
examination"
!With the changes you suggest about the
carrying trade from steamboats, to barges,
and the st. Louis steamships running their
vessels up tho river, what would be the
effect upon MemphisY"
'She would be simply like n young giant,
unconscious of its strength, and, in spite OF
opposition, destined to become the largest
city in the United States. Take down the
map of Memphis, construct a double line
belt road outside the ely limits, connect al.
railroads entering the city with 1t, purchase
an interest in the Little Rock IL Kansas City
incline, and, without n single dollar eN-
pended by the railroads, you will add LOO
miles OF independent road TO the Little Rock,
Chesapeake Il Ohio, Louisville Il Nashville,
Memphis & Charleston, Kansas City and
every other road entering Memphis, except
those running parallel with the river, by
building railroad bargcs the railroads can
send their cars Ia every city in the Union,
and by arrangements with other railroads
send them into the interior OF the country.
At the lower end of the belt line, on the
bluffs below Fort Pickering, the largest and
finest fire proof cotton sheds in the world
could be constructed, introducing the latest
and most approved machinery for handling
and COMPRISING. There the cotton could be
received by rail and river, stored, com
pressed and loaded ON ocean ships for Eu-
rope, cheaper by from % cents to 81 II bale
than any other place In the south. This is
no wild project; IL only requires q few cner-
getic men 10 take hold and push II, and in
two years it would be a glorious reality
docs the Mississippi river need improve
mentg'
"Let those who doubt make a trip from
Cairo to New Orleans during an overflow.
II he Is not convinced, no words Of mine
would do IL. For the past fifty years the
improvement Of the river and freeing the
valley from overflow has puzzled the
| brightest minds in America. Project after
| project has been recommended, and even the
| south has never been invited 10 recommend
a single project to Congress and an estimate
OF cost.
81. We have the outlet system, recon-
minded by Capts. feathers and Cowdon.
"2. The cutoff project, recommended by
my old and valued friend, j. u. Miles, Of
Helena.
"3. The contraction OF the banks Of the
river, recommended by the late Capt. Eads.
-. The leyecs. recommended by n board
Of United States engineers.
''In order 10 reconcile those conflicting
projects, Congress appointed the Mississippi
river commission. The members were
chosen from the army, navy. and civil life.
The commission have met with obstruction
and opposition from those who had u right
to have given every assistance. They have
shown n zeal and fidelity to the important
work committed 10 their charge which
should commend our respect. and the com
mission, It's officers and employees should
receive the thanks OF the convention for
their faithful services.
Can you tell me something about the
work Of the river commission
'They have rejected the outlet and cutoff
projects as impmcticablc, and confined their
experiments 10 lcyccs aud contraction Of the
river. over the former they have spent about
81 900, OO0. over the latter about S%,OOO,OJJ.
In contracting the river II has been found
that il locally improves the channel, while II
injuries IL Immediately below the works. In
order to carry out this project the river will
have Ia be uniformly contracted for u dis.
lance of sou miles. The work Of protecting
banks consists Of grading the upper bank,
sinking willow mattresses and covering with
stone. The two last pieces Of work ave at
Memphis and at Delta. Each work has cost
over so per foot. In contracting the river,
dykes are used, composed ~ piles, cross tim.
beers and stone, costing so per foot, IL l.
found that from 10 10 - per cent ~ IL,
work ~ annually destroyed by caying hanks
aud driftwoud.'
DO YOU not think II would bankrupt the
country to carry ont your idea ~ protecting
the bank. Tor 40 miles continuously
"lct ~ estimate the cost Of $40 miles oil
bank protection at SO per foot, 100 mile,
of dykes nj tsD per foot; total cost, S4ib,up,
UUO, aud nn anuual cost of 10 per cent ioi
repairs, S2l,OJ1.OJn. This project doe, mol
protect frum overflow, and would be rather
heavy
"Wm the convention recommend tai.
pr jcCt 30 Congress-
The experiments made by the commits
sion with lcyccs has succeeded beyond thcii
reasonable expectations. II has improved
the channel, freed the country from over
low aud given renewed hope aud energy q
the planter. Il has proved beyond a doubt
that the only practicable means of impruv
ing the river aud freeing the valley from
overflow shy q system Of lCyccz, commencing
at Cninu and carncd down to New Orleans
What will 10 cost IN iS7i. Congress np
pointed q board ~ engineers, consisting ol
Mai. Warren. Maj Abbott, Mai Bcnynurd
~ the United states nrmy and Mr.. Sickcl'
and Mr.. Herbert, to report q plan Tor III,
improvement II the Mississippi, and
10 prevent overflow. After long anl search
Ing investigation thty unanimously
recommended lcyccs, submitting the follow.
iugcstimatcs. One hundruduu d fourteen mill
lon seven hundred and seventy four thousand
Cubicyarls 81 lcycCs, at tOtcnis per yard, tuiu.
cost, ~ei5.uUlGO it l. we'll known thai
lcyccs can now be- built Tor ~ cents per yard
Since that IMPORT 100000 81 lcycrs have
been built, 20 that q flint class system NJ
lcyccs eau be- built for f9n.Ou1,UuO think
the gentlemen 81 the convention shUuld nee
ommcnd this project 10 Congress aud ask ioi
S,Ool,uJO per annum until the lcyccy an
completed
hut " l. cpntcndcd by the people Of tho
north that the building " the lcyccs i.noi
of sufficient national importance Tor IA,
work to be- done by Congress"
WA the giving ~ tsn,Ono.OO0 a. the Union
Pacific 60 construct % railroad for the benefit
Of n private corporation II national Impair
tnncc' Wa the giving to Canada uf G.Ui.pp
fur the benefit IT q few New England fisher
men ~ national importance l. the higi
tariff duty for the benefit u northern manu-
facturcr ~ more importance Than the pro.
lection IT southern cotton fields Contrast
the two. The cotton planter sends his cotton
400 miles Ia an u%niHcndly market and
there compcics with Egyptian and Indian
labor which receives 10 cents per DAY,
and brings back aud adds 20 the wealth II